"Hold the line! Don’t let the Eight-Tails into the residential area!"
Dodai roared furiously, his voice echoing across the battlefield.
The scene before him was nothing short of catastrophic. The majestic Raikage Tower had already collapsed by more than half, and vast swathes of the village had been reduced to rubble. The colossal Eight-Tails, Gyūki, bellowed into the sky, its massive horns gleaming in the sunlight. Its eight tentacle-like tails whipped about wildly, wreaking havoc on the surrounding buildings.
Thick iron chains were tightly wrapped around Gyūki’s neck and limbs, held in place by a large group of Kumo ninjas who were desperately trying to restrain the beast. The ground was littered with the bodies of fallen comrades, their lives sacrificed in the effort to hold the rampaging tailed beast at bay.
"Sensor team! Can you establish contact with B and the Eight-Tails?"
Dodai barked, his voice sharp and commanding.
A sensor ninja, his head wrapped in bandages, gripped the hand seals of his sensory technique tightly. He shouted back, panic evident in his voice:
"No contact! Lord B appears to be unconscious! The Eight-Tails has completely lost control! Communication is impossible!"
Dodai immediately grasped the gravity of the situation. B had nearly perfected his control over Gyūki. Even during the Battle of the Thunder Plains, where he had fully transformed into the Eight-Tails, there hadn’t been any issues. For such a sudden and violent rampage to occur now, it was almost certain someone had orchestrated this chaos. As for which faction was behind it, that would have to wait for an investigation after the crisis was resolved.
The immediate priority was to reseal Gyūki and prevent further destruction. Traditionally, this was accomplished by having the Third Raikage exhaust the Eight-Tails’ chakra in battle, followed by the village’s elite jonin using the Sage of Six Paths’ artifact, the Amber Purifying Pot, to seal the beast. Finally, the Iron Armor Seal would be used to rebind Gyūki to its Jinchūriki.
But now, both the Third Raikage and the "Young Master," Tsukigami Kōichi, were leading forces outside the village. With only the remaining ninja in the village, controlling the Eight-Tails seemed an insurmountable task. Even if they succeeded, the cost would be devastating.
What’s worse, the Third Raikage was deep in the heart of the Land of Earth, and Tsukigami Kōichi was locked in a standoff with Konoha. Any sign of weakness now could squander the golden opportunity to crush Iwagakure.
Dodai found himself caught in a dilemma.
Gyūki let out a deafening roar and suddenly swung its massive left arm. A large group of Kumo ninjas pulling on the chains were flung into the air like grains of rice tossed by a farmer’s shovel, only to crash heavily back to the ground. Cries of pain filled the air as Gyūki began to break free from its restraints.
At this critical moment, elite jonin Saiyaku leapt into the fray, a squad of ninja following closely behind.
"Lightning Release: Righteous Thunder Axe!"
Saiyaku soared high into the air, delivering a powerful spinning kick to Gyūki’s chin. Though the blow didn’t knock the beast down, the sheer force caused its massive body to stumble.
The other ninjas seized the opportunity to tighten the chains, momentarily regaining control over the Eight-Tails.
Unwilling to be restrained, Gyūki swung its massive arms, attempting to swat Saiyaku like a fly. But Saiyaku, agile as a grasshopper, darted nimbly between the beast’s fingers, evading its attacks with ease.
After several deft maneuvers, Saiyaku suddenly leapt onto Gyūki’s back. Drawing a pair of kukri blades from behind him, he dove downward like a spear, aiming for one of the beast’s tails.
His face stern, Saiyaku channeled Lightning Release chakra into his blades, making the already razor-sharp weapons even more lethal.
With a thunderous shout, Saiyaku drove his blades into Gyūki’s tail. The sound of metal slicing through flesh echoed across the battlefield as one of the Eight-Tails’ appendages was severed cleanly at the base.
Enraged by the pain, Gyūki let out a furious roar and broke free from its chains entirely.
Elite jonin Isiran charged into the fray, his hands moving rapidly to form seals.
"Storm Release: Storm Demon Dragon!"
Dark clouds suddenly gathered over the battlefield, forming a thick layer of cumulonimbus clouds. The distant rumble of thunder could be heard as lightning flickered ominously within the storm.
With a shout, Isiran directed a dragon-shaped bolt of blue lightning straight at Gyūki’s head. The attack was so fast that evasion was impossible.
"So that’s Isiran’s new technique!"
Dodai finally understood. Saiyaku’s earlier maneuvers had been a distraction, buying time for Isiran to prepare his technique.
From the shadows, Isiran had been using his Storm Release kekkei genkai to manipulate the storm clouds above, gradually concentrating them over Gyūki. Once the storm reached critical mass, the moisture within the clouds amplified the power of his Storm Release, exponentially increasing its destructive potential.
Now, bolt after bolt of lightning as thick as tree trunks struck Gyūki with pinpoint accuracy. The beast’s massive body was charred black, its roars of pain reverberating through the air. The acrid smell of burnt flesh mixed with the scent of the sea lingered in the atmosphere.
"Bring the Amber Purifying Pot!"
Dodai shouted, hope flickering in his heart.
But just as the tide seemed to turn, Gyūki suddenly raised its head, ignoring the lightning strikes as it opened its massive mouth. A tremendous amount of chakra began to gather within, forming a dark, ominous sphere.
"It’s the Tailed Beast Bomb! It’s trying to disperse the storm clouds!"
Dodai immediately realized Gyūki’s intent.
But no one could stop it. Anyone who approached would be struck by Isiran’s lightning and reduced to ash.
Desperate, Isiran pushed his chakra to its limit. A massive sphere of lightning chakra began to form within the storm clouds, its terrifying energy building rapidly.
"Stop! You’ll die if you keep going!"
Dodai screamed, his voice hoarse.
The sheer amount of chakra Isiran was expending had already surpassed her limits. Using a technique of such magnitude would only lead to one outcome: death by chakra exhaustion.
But Isiran ignored Dodai’s pleas, her eyes blazing with determination. Her face was tinged with an unnatural purple hue, her body crackling with electricity. Sparks occasionally erupted from her form, making her resemble a Protoss High Templar from StarCraft.
Seeing this, Dodai fell silent for a moment. He knew it was too late.
"Everyone, fall back!"
He couldn’t afford to mourn Isiran’s sacrifice. He had to preserve the remaining forces for the battles to come.
In that instant, Gyūki unleashed its Tailed Beast Bomb, the dark sphere shooting skyward. Simultaneously, the massive lightning sphere within the storm clouds descended.
The two colossal energies collided mid-air, the resulting explosion louder than the most deafening thunderclap and brighter than the most dazzling lightning strike. The shockwave was so powerful that it knocked everyone to the ground, leaving them no choice but to crawl for cover.
When the dust settled, the battlefield was eerily quiet. Isiran lay motionless on the ground, her fate uncertain.
And yet, Gyūki still stood amidst the ruins, its massive form unyielding.
"This won’t work. We can’t hold out. Only the Raikage or the Young Master can stop this!"
Dodai realized that no matter how many lives they threw at the Eight-Tails, it would be futile. Gyūki’s power was simply too overwhelming.
If the village was destroyed, what would be the point of defeating Iwagakure?
"Ekusu, I’m giving you a direct order. You must reach the Raikage within three days and inform him of the situation. Tell him he must return immediately!"
"Uai, the same goes for you. Notify the Young Master and bring him back to the village!"
"Zaido, evacuate all civilians to Thunder God Gorge for safety!"
After issuing his orders, Dodai turned his furious gaze toward the rampaging Eight-Tails.
"The rest of you, if you can still stand, listen up! Three days! Even if it costs us our lives, we must hold out for three days!"
With that, he drew his blade and charged forward.
"Raikage-sama, Young Master—if either of you makes it back, the village might still have a chance!"
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